Ariving in Dallas for the first time on March 21, choirs from Washington D.C’s National Cathedral School, an all-girls school, and St. Albans, an all-boys school, came to Dallas as a part of their international tour, which included singing with Hockaday and St. Mark’s, as well as the Episcopal School of Dallas.

National Cathedral and St. Albans combined their fine arts programs and have toured all over the world. During their stay in Dallas, when the students were not practicing or resting, they explored around the city, visiting the Arboretum and down-town Dallas.

In addition to offering their voices to the National Cathedral and St. Albans choir members, Hockaday and St. Mark’s students’ families offered them their homes.

When the D.C. choir came, the students needed a place to stay so Jennifer Mosle, junior Kate’s mom, placed students from D.C. into several homes offered by Hockaday and St. Mark’s family as well as Hockaday boarding.

“It was really fun having some of the kids stay at my house. They were very talkative and polite,” says freshman Divya, one of the choir members who housed two students.

Hockaday, St. Mark’s and the two D.C. choirs practiced Monday and Tuesday night before they performed at the St. Mark’s chapel on March 23. They sang “Non Nobis Domine” composed by Patrick Doyle, “The Storm is Passing Over” composed by the Charles Tindley and “I was Glad When They Said Unto Me” by Hubert Parry.

Although she was intimidated to perform with them at first, Hockaday freshman, Grace, thought that the visiting choirs encouraged the Hockaday and St. Mark’s choirs to sing stronger. They were also “fun to talk to and had some things in common, including that their choir directors were overly enthusiastic about their performance.”

“Having the choir from D.C. come to Hockaday was a lot of fun. There were over a hundred singers combined which was awesome because we usually don’t get to sing with such a large group. I hosted two girls and enjoyed having them as well. I would be all for going to D.C. to sing with them again if it ever happens,” sophomore Courtney says.

Hockaday choir director Bonnie Jean Coleman and other Hockaday fine arts directors have been thinking about taking the choir girls on tour in the United States or abroad.

“The choir girls were able to meet the kids, and the girls got to know them and share ideas with each other and then also got to hear each other sing,” says Coleman. “[It was a] a wonderful way for the girls to learn some literature that was not in our repertoire and listen to each other sing.”

It was a new experience because the Hockaday choir was able to sing pieces that they wouldn’t be able to sing without the other three choirs.

Coleman concluded that her overall favorite part was that the “directors got to be together and share ideas…and of course this all worked out because of Mrs. Mosle; she did such a wonderful job.”

All the girls from the Hockaday choir intensely enjoyed this opportunity that they were given and hope that they will soon be able to do it again. They also hope that they will be able to grow in their singing and one day be able to tour and share their talents across the nation.

—Gretchen